How clean is the air inside your home? Do you even know? Most of us assume we’re breathing pure air inside our homes — after all, how dirty can our indoor air get when our windows and doors are always shut?
At Steve’s Plumbing & Heating, we’re here to let you know that the air inside your house is probably far dirtier than the air outside it. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, levels of indoor air pollutants are up to five times higher than outdoor levels. In some cases, indoor air is up to 100 times more polluted than the air outside!
Concerned? You should be. Below, we discuss what you need to know about fixing your polluting indoor air with an in-home air purification system.
What Exactly Is an Air Purification System?
Air purifiers are high-level filtration devices designed to remove contaminants from indoor air. They contain HEPA filters, which are designed to remove up to 99.97% of particles sized 0.3 microns or larger.
To give a little perspective, the diameter of an average human hair is about 75 microns. That means a HEPA filtration system can remove particles that are 250 times smaller than a human hair!
Many air purifiers also feature UV sanitization, which effectively kills microbes floating around in the air. Activated carbon filtration is also a common feature in household air purification systems.
Why Install an Air Purification System?
Since humans tend to carry in microscopic particles from outdoors, staggering numbers of microbes can settle in the average HVAC system. Since HVAC systems recirculate indoor air rather than pulling in fresh air from outdoors, those microbes recirculate throughout the house continually.
Beyond microbes, several other potentially harmful particles float around in the average home, including:
● Volatile organic compounds
● Chemical residues
● Smoke, either from cigarettes or cooking
● Several other biological and chemical pollutants
Even when homeowners have HVAC filters and replace them regularly, those filters are not designed to remove many of the most microscopic particles floating around in the air. And when those particles are allowed to continually recirculate, everyone who spends time inside the house ends up breathing them in.
Depending on occupants’ sensitivity levels and the amount of time they spend indoors, breathing in those particles can cause several symptoms, including:
● Runny or stuffy nose
● Coughing and trouble breathing
● Persistent fatigue
● Trouble concentrating
● Headaches
● Skin rashes
● Difficulty sleeping
Unfortunately, many people attribute their symptoms to a common cold or allergies when in reality, the filthy air inside their homes is the culprit. What can fix the issue? An air purification system.
Is an Air Purifier Right for You?
If you or anyone in your household suffers from unrelenting allergy-like symptoms or has developed other seemingly unexplainable health issues, indoor air pollution may be the culprit. Installing an air purification system is an excellent way to mitigate that pollution and help control any nagging symptoms.
Keep in mind, though, that you should always talk to your physician about any health issues you may be experiencing. While an air purifier is a worthwhile investment in your health, it’s not a panacea. Symptoms may stem from other issues that an air purifier cannot rectify.
Ready to Install an Air Purifier? Contact Steve’s Plumbing & Heating
If you’re ready to benefit from cleaner indoor air, get in touch with our team at Steve’s Plumbing & Heating to discuss your air purification options. We’ll work with you to determine the most effective solution for your needs and budget and install your system flawlessly. To get started, give us a call at 715-421-1800, request a quote, or contact us online for more information.